Refrigeration cycle

A refrigeration cycle describes the changes that take place to a refrigerant in absorbing heat and subsequently radiating it as it is circulated around a refrigerator.

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Work is applied to cool a living space or storage volume by pumping heat from a lower temperature heat source into a higher temperature heat sink. Heat naturally flows in the opposite direction. Insulation is used as means to reduce the work and energy required to achieve and maintain a lower temperature in the cooled space. The operating principle of the refrigeration cycle was described mathematically by Sadi Carnot in 1824 as a heat engine. A refrigerator is simply a heat engine operating in reverse.

Related Topics:
Work - Insulation - Sadi Carnot - Heat engine

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The most common types of refrigeration systems use a cycle based on a phase change heat pump although absorption heat pumps are used in a large minority of applications. It is possible to build a refrigeration system which does not contain a refrigerant, and therefore do not operate a refrigeration cycle — the most common form being thermoelectric cooling used in some portable coolers.

Related Topics:
Phase change heat pump - Absorption heat pump - Thermoelectric cooling

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